Melech to light up the Vaal

Jack Milner

In the late sixties Doris Day starred in a comedy called “Where were you when the lights went out?”.

If you asked that question to Melech about his last start and he had the ability to answer you, he would reply: “Waiting to get saddled up for Race 10 at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Durban July day”.  

In his case that was no comedy, but while Roy Magner’s charge might have missed out on that run he gets another opportunity at the Vaal on Thursday in Race 6, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1700m on the main track.

It really is a fabulous race, containing two of this year’s Guineas winners in Eye Of The Prophet (Grade 2 WSB Guineas at Turffontein) and Peach Daiquiri (WSB Fillies Guineas at Greyville), Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes champion Gilded Butterfly and Grade 3 Jubilee Stakes runner-up Whafeef.

Gilded Butterfly and Peach Daiquiri also met in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville where they finished sixth and seventh respectively, with just 0.15 lengths separating them.

However, Melech could upset all these feature-race winners. He last ran in the WSB Guineas at Greyville where he finished seventh, beaten 4.95 lengths by Charles Dickens

Unfortunately, things did not go his way that day, starting off with the widest draw which saw Muzi Yeni forced to drop him out. He did not look all that happy in his first run at the course but he did produce the third fastest finish in a race that contained not only Charles Dickens, but See It Again and Dave The King, Cousin Casey and Anfields Rocket, four of them Grade 1 winners.

The handicappers were impressed enough to penalise him 10 points (5kg) for that effort.

It is unfortunate he had to miss out on his July Day run but he does come into Thursday’s race with just 54.5kg, and this time Yeni has the benefit of No 1 draw.

Eye Of The Prophet had a warm-up win over 1450m on the Inside track and is united once again with Rachel Venniker who will take 1.5kg off his back.

Peach Daiquiri will have her first run on the Highveld and must be in with a chance with Louie Mxothwa making the trip to Turffontein to ride Alec Laird’s charge.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 7 Longsword, 6 Livebythesword, 3 Feel All Right, 1 Brotherhoodofmagic

Race 2: 1 Bavarian Beauty, 2 Just Be Lekker, 3 No Filter, 5 Grape Shot

Race 3: 1 Back In Business, 5 Southern Skies, 2 Power Broker, 4 Bowl First

Race 4: 4 Fushimi Inari, 5 Hotarubi, 7 No Place Like Home, 1 Felidavian

Race 5: 2 Royal Guide, 7 Maboneng, 6 Napoleon, 3 Pewter Sky

Race 6: 6 Melech, 1 Eye Of The Prophet, 5 Peach Daiquiri, 2 Gilded Butterfly

Race 7: 4 Ivy League, 8 Mamaquera, 5 Nettleton, 3 Fur Baby

Race 8: 2 In The Beginning, 3 Silver Winter, 4 What A Honey, 7 Tayooba

Race 9: 8 Dark Tide, 9 Gal Gadot, 12 Meet The Captain, 2 Coming In Hot

BEST BET

Race 2 No 1 Bavarian Beauty

VALUE BET

Race 6 No 6 Melech

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 4x5

BIPOT

R144

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 1, 5

Leg 3: 4, 5

Leg 4: 2, 6, 7

Leg 5: 1, 5, 6

Leg 6: 3, 4, 5, 8

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R162

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 4, 5

Leg 3: 2

Leg 4: 1, 5, 6

Leg 5: 4, 5, 8

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4

Leg 7: 2, 8, 9

PICK 6

R1800

Leg 1: 4, 5

Leg 2: 2, 6, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 4: 4, 5, 8

Leg 5: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 6: 2, 8, 9, 12

JACKPOT 1

R225

Leg 1: 2, 6, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 3: 4, 5, 8

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

JACKPOT 2

R300

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 2: 4, 5, 8

Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 4: 2, 8, 9, 12